BASKING RIDGE, N.J. -- Plateau Systems, a leading provider of software used by businesses to develop, manage, reward and optimize organizational talent, has renewed and expanded its contract for Verizon Business IP Application Hosting and content management services. The extended deal gives Plateau a scalable managed hosting service to meet growing demands for its Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) talent management offerings and to provide seamless end-user broadband experiences for Plateau's global clients and their employees.

A Verizon Business customer since 2003, Plateau provides applications and managed services to enable performance management, compensation management, career and succession planning, and learning and development. The addition of Verizon Business IP Application Hosting services -- including Akamai Technologies Inc.'s global content distribution platform for the reliable acceleration of business applications, digital assets and dynamic sites -- is part of Plateau's strategy to meet growing global demands for its offerings. This includes the recently introduced iContent solution–a completely hosted service for procuring, integrating, deploying and managing both custom and commercially available learning content and resources.

"Bandwidth and server requirements have exploded in tandem with Plateau's market success," said Edward Cohen, Plateau's chief technology officer. "The talent management industry is moving from on-premises to Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) delivery models such as Plateau's Talent Management and iContent offerings. This trend is also increasing bandwidth requirements.

"With Verizon Business, we can stay ahead of the technology curve and remain focused on our core business -- helping to improve organizational performance -- and deliver content and applications that are secure, reliable and highly available to enterprise managers and employees."

Verizon Business IP Application Hosting enables customers to outsource Web-enabled business sites within secure Verizon Business data centers. Verizon Business provides 24/7 support and fast, reliable and scalable bandwidth resources. The data centers are connected to Verizon Business' global IP network and support today's most widely deployed computer operating systems.

"Verizon Business is dedicated to meeting enterprise customer needs to deliver new IP services," said Nancy Gofus, senior vice president and chief marketing officer, Verizon Business. "With Verizon Business managed hosting capabilities, companies such as Plateau can better focus on core competencies while benefiting from secure and reliable performance for applications, including new SaaS offerings."

SaaS applications are hosted by the software provider, such as Plateau, rather than by the customer. This delivery and subscription-based model helps control set-up and operational costs and reduce strains on business staffing resources.

Customers rely on Verizon Business to host critical infrastructures such as public-facing Web sites, corporate intranets and other environments. Verizon Business owns and operates one of the largest IP backbones in the industry. With more than 10 years of experience in the hosting industry, Verizon Business manages more than 3,100 servers for hundreds of IP Application Hosting customers.

About PlateauPlateau is a leading, global provider of adaptable, Web-based software for developing, managing, rewarding and optimizing organizational talent to increase workforce productivity and drive business success. Plateau's award-winning software is powering talent management initiatives across some of the world's most successful organizations, including the American Red Cross, General Electric, the Internal Revenue Service, Capital One Services and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). Industry analysts at Bersin & Associates, Forrester Research and other leading information and technology research and advisory firms continue to recognize Plateau's leadership in delivering best-in-class functionality, technology and customer satisfaction. Plateau is headquartered in Arlington, Va., with offices across the United States, Europe and Asia Pacific. For more information, please visit www.plateau.com.

About AkamaiAkamai is the leading global service provider for accelerating content and business processes online. Thousands of organizations have formed trusted relationships with Akamai, improving their revenue and reducing costs by maximizing the performance of their online businesses. Leveraging the Akamai EdgePlatform, these organizations gain business advantage today and have the foundation for the emerging Web solutions of tomorrow. Akamai is "The Trusted Choice for Online Business." For more information, visit www.akamai.com.

About Verizon BusinessVerizon Business, a unit of Verizon Communications (NYSE: VZ), is a leading provider of advanced communications and information technology (IT) solutions to large business and government customers worldwide. Combining unsurpassed global network reach with advanced technology and professional service capabilities, Verizon Business delivers innovative and seamless business solutions to customers around the world. For more information, visit www.verizonbusiness.com.